Parasite predators introduced with live rock

[Subsea]

In a conversation today with Humblefish, we talked about stress, immunity and ich predators in a reef tank.

I asked if uncured diver collected live rock would have ich predators.

“I would love to ID specific “predators” of fish pathogens. To date, I have only found this one study which documented how the nauplii of brine shrimp (Artemia salina) consume Velvet dinospores (free swimmers): https://humble.fish/community/index...loodinium-dinospores-by-artemia-1995-pdf.119/

It makes sense to me that all fish pathogens (all life stages) must have something which preys upon them. And stocking an aquarium with such could be the holy grail to controlling diseases in a captive environment. But which animal, plant, fungi, protist and/or monera are these?? For example, a famous marine scientist (Dr. Angelo Colorni) is sure that certain bacteria “gnaw” on Cryptocaryon tomonts and damage them. But when we talked more about it, he never could identify which species of bacteria would do this. ‍”


Who could document the numerous pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites) and “predators of pathogens“?

 

[KrisReef]

The Lord knows. Hopefully some day we will too. I would love to find a virus, bacteria, or copepod that would eat, torture, cripple, kill, molest AEFW. Same knowledge for other pests would also be fantastic for helping reef keepers enjoy the hobby more.

 

[Subsea]

@Humblefish

I decided to link our conversation:

Interview with Humblefish & PauB | Marine and Reef General Discussion

What do supermodels, the Vietnam War, and the right front fender of a 1955 Oldsmobile have to do with marine aquariums? Absolutely nothing—that is, of course, unless you’re hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano and you’ve just published a book on your six decades of aquarium keeping. I have...

marsh-reef.org

 

[taricha]

Along this line, Eli Meyer has mentioned that there are kinds of copepods that eat uronema. Biological controls like this are always going to be hit and miss, so they might be a helpful fortunate circumstance, but I don't think something that a hobbyist could rely on to solve a disease issue.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@Humblefish

I decided to link our conversation:

Interview with Humblefish & PauB | Marine and Reef General Discussion

What do supermodels, the Vietnam War, and the right front fender of a 1955 Oldsmobile have to do with marine aquariums? Absolutely nothing—that is, of course, unless you’re hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano and you’ve just published a book on your six decades of aquarium keeping. I have...

marsh-reef.org

He's not here.

 

[Subsea]

He's not here.

We communicate on MARSH.

 

[Lavey29]

I think my blue streak cleaner wrasse cleans potential parasite infections off my fish but I'm only speculating.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

We communicate on MARSH.

Yes, I know. But tagging him here is pointless.

 

[Subsea]

For certain, carnivorous cleaner fish eat visible parasites. Watching NatGeo showed cleaner fish going into the open mouth of large grouper.

Yes, I know. But tagging him here is pointless.

Then get a moderator to remove it. it’s past my timeline to edit.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

For certain, carnivorous cleaner fish eat visible parasites. Watching NatGeo showed cleaner fish going into the open mouth of large grouper.

Then get a moderator to remove it. it’s past my timeline to edit.

I was just making you aware in case you were expecting him to respond

 

[Subsea]

I was just making you aware in case you were expecting him to respond

I did it to reinforce that the conversation was initially with Humblefish.

 

[Subsea]

While googling marine fish parasites, I was surprised to see copepods.

The 10 most nightmarish marine parasites on the planet

Parasites have colonized the oceans of the globe and survive at the expense of a host that has no choice but to accept them. Be careful, everything coming next is nightmarish. Lampreys Bloodsucker This strange fish is considered as one of the oldest vertebrates on Earth. With inward curved...

www.spotmydive.com

Copepod​

This parasite affects all groups of marine animals, from the smallest sponge to the largest cetaceans. This parasite has a way of sticking on the body of its guests in the gills, in the outer tissues, in the organs or even in the eyes. As an exemple, the copepod is fixed on the eyes of the Greenland from its birth to its death. The parasite just pumps physiological fluids through a tube making the shark blind. For more information, read: “The 7 weirdest sharks.”

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

While googling marine fish parasites, I was surprised to see copepods.

The 10 most nightmarish marine parasites on the planet

Parasites have colonized the oceans of the globe and survive at the expense of a host that has no choice but to accept them. Be careful, everything coming next is nightmarish. Lampreys Bloodsucker This strange fish is considered as one of the oldest vertebrates on Earth. With inward curved...

www.spotmydive.com

Copepod​

This parasite affects all groups of marine animals, from the smallest sponge to the largest cetaceans. This parasite has a way of sticking on the body of its guests in the gills, in the outer tissues, in the organs or even in the eyes. As an exemple, the copepod is fixed on the eyes of the Greenland from its birth to its death. The parasite just pumps physiological fluids through a tube making the shark blind. For more information, read: “The 7 weirdest sharks.”

These aren't the copepods we put in our tanks. They are sea lice and such. About 1/2 the copepod species are parasitic. Amphipods and isopods have parasitic members too.

 

[KrisReef]

@Humblefish

I decided to link our conversation:

Interview with Humblefish & PauB | Marine and Reef General Discussion

What do supermodels, the Vietnam War, and the right front fender of a 1955 Oldsmobile have to do with marine aquariums? Absolutely nothing—that is, of course, unless you’re hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano and you’ve just published a book on your six decades of aquarium keeping. I have...

marsh-reef.org

Thanks for linking this. I have Pauls book but I had never heard him speak before. I'm gonna finish the video tomorrow its getting past my bed time, and I just got a notification from my dispatch....

 

[Subsea]

Thanks for linking this. I have Pauls book but I had never heard him speak before. I'm gonna finish the video tomorrow its getting past my bed time, and I just got a notification from my dispatch....

I saw Paul at his home on the North Shore of Long Island one month after interview was made.

 

[Shon]

Any known Hyperparasites?

Recently read a bit about a parasitic ostracod that has a parasitic copepod. I think it was about eating the ostracod eggs and replacing it with it's own copepods eggs.

 

[KrisReef]

Any known Hyperparasites?

Recently read a bit about a parasitic ostracod that has a parasitic copepod. I think it was about eating the ostracod eggs and replacing it with it's own copepods eggs.

That sounds like a government agency program. "~Nothing new under the sun." Solomon.

 

[Subsea]

These aren't the copepods we put in our tanks. They are sea lice and such. About 1/2 the copepod species are parasitic. Amphipods and isopods have parasitic members too.

How do you determine which copepod species is on “live rock”?

 

[Subsea]

These aren't the copepods we put in our tanks. They are sea lice and such. About 1/2 the copepod species are parasitic. Amphipods and isopods have parasitic members too.

Your answer opens another point about parasite predators.

Would some of the parasite pods be predators of ich?

 

[Subsea]

Natural predators of marine parasites

This is driving me crazy... Most organisms have natural predators. But what preys upon parasite tomonts in the rocks, free swimmers in the water column and trophonts on the fish?? Supposedly cleaner shrimp/wrasses do, but their effectiveness is controversial...

humble.fish

“I was speaking with another long-time hobbyist today, and he observed: "Did you notice that back when we used all live rock (the so-called Berlin Method) we didn't have all these virulent fish diseases running amok?" He's right! Nowadays most everyone uses dead "dry rock", and then uses a raw shrimp or doses ammonia to cycle it. Any biodiversity is usually added after the fact via pods, macroalgae, a new coral we add, etc. But that takes time and probably never achieves the same level of biodiversity as found in live rock taken from the ocean.”

“We also discussed how the longer a tank is setup, the more manageable diseases seem to be. Perhaps this is because certain microorganism(s) are finally introduced which prey upon the offending parasites. It's just a pet theory I am looking into, and something I wanted to share with the community. ”

@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Your answer opens another point about parasite predators.

Would some of the parasite pods be predators of ich?

@Lasse

Do European reefers have insight into predator control of marine ich in our ecosystems.